Hudson Hawk (1991)

I bought Hudson Hawk after seeing only bits of it on TV. This is my kind of escapist fare: creative, quirky, and twisted. Our story starts and ends with the narrative tome device and hangs its premise on the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci. (We even see a quick shot of the unfinished Mona Lisa and its original model -- yikes!) Bruce Willis gives personality to Hudson Hawk, a cat burglar who executes his capers by musical numbers (he knows the time length of any crooner tune you ask him). He's just gotten out of prison and all he wants is a decent cappuccino (a running gag) and an honest job, but an expanding coterie of crooks coerces him into pulling not one but three master thefts in Italy. Danny Aiello does a super job as his doughy sidekick. Andie MacDowell is an undercover nun who is dedicated to her mission, which naturally means kissing Willis. James Coburn ably leads one gang of toughs, who have hilarious roles and lines, while Sarah Bernhard is an over-the-top crime diva paired with the equally insane David Caruso to mastermind the whole operation and their own quirky henchmen. Great scenery, great action, great humor, great tunes, no sex just mayhem -- what's not to love? Hudson Hawk gets cartoonish at one point but ably spoofs the heist genre while standing on its own as an inventive and multilayered story. 5 stars.